Stolen Kisses
by Rainesfere
Summary: A story of the time leading up to Lady Cousland's prearranged marriage to Teagan, and her path to true love. Pre DA:O. Going to be filled with fluff! Reviews make me squee! A bit AU
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Stolen Kisses**

_"A legal kiss is never as good as a stolen one."_  
Guy de Maupassant

* * *

As I walked silently down the dark halls of the estate late that night, I couldn't help but feel exited. We had been sneaking around for so many weeks now, and never had the chance to be together, just us. Undisturbed. We always had to be careful and as discrete as possible, just in case somebody would pass by. It was tiring, but in a sense, I liked it. Though I knew no good would come of it, the sneaking around was appealing. As stupid as it may sound. It made our time together that much more special. Because we knew we didn't have much opportunities, we cherished it when we had the chance to meet, to touch, to kiss, to hold each other, if only just for a moment.

He had been sitting next to me earlier that evening during dinner, softly caressing my hand with his fingers under the table when I realized I could no longer continue with the superficial touches we shared. Something heated up inside me as I looked over to him. A passion that almost made me jump him. I had held my breath for a few moments, letting the intense desire for him slowly fade into the background of my mind. I had to keep it together, if only for a few hours. Then we would finally be together again, without the restraints of the people around us. We had been discussing the usual things together, how things were going at Highever, what the rest of my family was up to and other things that no longer held meaning for me since I came here. This was our usual reason for sitting next to each other during meals, as far as the others were concerned. We would not have many other opportunities to talk, aside from the occasional meetings in the hallways and the gardens, unless I went to visit him in his quarters, but that was obviously not appropriate for a Lady like me.

We had finished our dinner, taking the usual extra time to do so, talking with each other until dusk had began to settle in. This was normal for us, as I held great interest for my family and my homeland, and missed them dearly. So it hadn't ever seemed odd that I liked to talk about them with somebody who had met them not so long ago.

Though I loved Rainesfere, I couldn't help but miss Highever. The forever outstretching fields around the wisteria covered estate which smelled like honey and poppies in summer, the woods I so often went to play in with the mabari from the kennel, and my secret passage in the castle which led out to the most beautiful corner of the gardens we had. Out of sight from the servants and my family I would go there, alone, to maintain the giant scarlet roses and the rest of the plants and trees. It would calm me down if I had been having a quarrel with my parents or with one of my tutors, or if I had a dreadful nightmare. My own secret place on the castle grounds was what I missed the most. A place simply for me, and nobody else.

I had never had a single moment of solitude in my time here, except for the highly rare moments the servants would have something more important and urgent to do than clean my room or waiting for me to give them orders. I was starting to get annoyed with the zealous elves, for I knew they did not enjoy their jobs. I wondered why they would fake all of their obedience and pleasantries if they hated humans so. Why would they work for us in the first place?

The memory of the overzealous elves snapped me back to the present, along with a feeling of fear to be discovered as the servants had eyes and ears everywhere. And if one were to find out what I was doing so late at night at an entire other side of the castle from where my quarters were, he or she would not hesitate to betray me for a bonus on his or her next paycheck, since I had no real power in the castle and thus, they were not intimidated by me. Even with my noble status.

But the elves would not find me, for I had memorized the layout of the halls in the castle to the best of my ability, avoiding the servants quarters by taking a major detour through the armory and the training grounds. I found myself in one of the rooms the soldiers and knights of Rainesfere used for combat training, when I felt my memories of the map I had so closely studied earlier that evening were slowly fading in the dark.

The room was half-lit by a few torches along the walls, which were keeping me from complete oblivion. It was filled with all sorts of training devices; I spotted a few wooden dummies covered in splinters probably caused by the countless swords fighting them over the years and some wooden contraptions which I had never seen before.

I made my way along the thick stone walls to the far side of the large room. Luckily, there was only one door, so I didn't have to worry about taking the wrong path to my destination.

Shivering with the cold of the lower class levels of the castle, I slowly opened the massive mahogany door while listening for any guards on their nightly patrol. I stuck my head out the small space between the wall and the door to get a better view of the long hall. I saw a sleeping guard on a chair by a door, probably to one of the treasuries, not too far away.

I silently praised Andraste while I soundlessly slipped out the door into the cold hall. I passed the sleeping guard without a sound an I knew I was getting closer. I remembered from the castle charts that there was a shortcut near this hall wich would allow me to access the stairs to the guest quarters the servants and guards always used. But where? I frantically searched my memories for the image of this passageway on the map, but I could not reach it. It had already been shoved too deep into a dark, untouchable corner of my mind.

I was lost.

I let out a swirl of profanities in my mind when I realized I had to guess where to go next. As the future Lady of the house I only came to this part of the castle for special meetings with soldiers and knights, to watch them duel or go to other events that could only be done here. Which was not that often. I tried to remember the last time I was here, a few weeks back, when a few knights of Highever came back with my mabari. I had been so delighted with his return that I did not pay any attention to my surroundings.

My head snapped up when I suddenly heard male voices in the distance, coming from behind me, around one of the corners. My mind was quickly pulled back out of reminiscing as it began to focus on where to hide. I had barely passed the sleeping guard behind me, so if the approaching voices would not see me, they would surely wake him up and he _would_ see me. My body tensed as I looked around for a place to hide, my eyes searching the long hallway for a secluded spot. Nothing.

I quickly ran forward, through the hall, still making no sound, and slipped around the corner. Three doors lined up on the other side of the passageway, and with the voices coming closer by the second, I decided it was all or nothing. I quickly ran to the door farthest away from me, almost at the end of the hall. I slowly opened it without a sound and hid in the almost darkness of the small room I was in. I left the door slightly open to see the guards pass from where I had come from half a minute earlier.

When they were out of my sight I let out a deep sigh and slumped to the floor, relaxing as I sat down.

As I turned around, my back to the door, I suddenly realized where I was. I let out a low chuckle, not believing my own luck as I scanned the small room I was in. It had a single torch on the wall and, unbelievably, it was even colder than the rooms I had passed through earlier.

The narrow staircase began a few feet away from me and while climbing I held the torch with one hand and holding on to the wall with the other, afraid to slip on the small steps.

When I reached the top I almost bumped into another door, causing me to flinch and almost stumble back down the stairs. I gripped the wall as well as I could, just barely holding on. I recomposed myself and slowly opened the door to the dark hallway that led to the guest wing. I sighed in relief to see it was completely deserted and started making my way to the guest quarters, where my destination awaited. The hard part was over. I had been here many times, my mother and father had their quarters here when they visited and I usually cleaned them before and after their visits, simply out of boredom.

The guest quarters were usually empty but they had been stacked full for a few months now, something I was eternally grateful for. Otherwise I would not have been here tonight, otherwise I had still been up in my room probably working out a way to escape, to run off to Orlais and never return. Or maybe not. I probably would have stayed, however unhappy it would have made me, and I would have fulfilled my duty.

I wandered through the huge guest wing for a few minutes, letting my guard down while admiring the beautiful paintings and decorations along the walls while putting the torch I was still holding back into a large torch holder on the wall.

There it was. A thick mahogany door on the left side of the hallway with a torch on either side, both unlit. I quickened my pace and I felt my heartbeat do the same as I came closer and closer to the moment I had been so desperately longing for for the past few weeks.

I was almost there and was beginning to reach out to knock on the door when I suddenly felt two sturdy hands gripping me around the waist from behind and pulling me close to the warm body that was attached to them.

"Maker's breath, look what we have here." A husky voice whispered in my ear. "My Lady Cousland, did you know that it is highly dangerous to wander about the castle so late at night?"


	2. Chapter 2: Childish Dreams

AN: _Hi everybody! Here's chapter 2 of Stolen Kisses! I would have uploaded it sooner, but I had some weird issues with the publishing tool, so there you go :P Anyway, just wanted to let you guys know that the next chapter will be taking a bit longer to write, because it's not completely in my head yet. I also don't have a name yet for Miss Cousland, but i'm brainstorming as we speak, so don't worry._

_Anyways, thanks SO much for the reviews i've already got, hadn't really expected that :-)_

_Enjoy!_

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"I said _no_!" I practically screamed while standing atop my bed.

"Pup, _please _try to understand, this is for the good of our family, for the good of Highever and for your own good as well." My father pleaded with me.

"No it is not! And even if it was, I do not care! I will not just throw my life away at some far away bannorn just because you and mother want me to!"

"Fine, be like that. It will not do you any good, though. This _will_ happen." My father said angrily as he stomped out of my room.

I sighed a deep and sad sigh and sat down on my bed, my head hanging as I looked over to my mabari.

"What would I ever do without you, my dear Lucas?"

My huge white-furred mabari hound, almost just as tall as me, let out a quiet whimper while getting up from the spot it had been laying for the past half hour. As he approached my bed he softly laid his head on my lap waiting for me to pet him.

"I honestly do not understand why mother and father so suddenly made this decision," I said while petting my hound and staring out my window absentmindedly, "I mean, they did not even bother to inform me of it before the decision was made! Besides, how can they even make that decision, it is mine and _only_ mine to make."

I stood up and walked toward the window. Thinking about what my parents so desperately wanted me to do out of nowhere. I had really never thought about it up until today.

_Marriage._

I sighed again and gazed out the window on to the fields of Highever. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was transforming from blue into a soft pink. I loved Highever, the landscape here was like it was nowhere else. I did not wish to leave to get married, though my parents seemed to think otherwise. I lost myself in my thoughts about the past day, and more could not have changed in one single day. Only late this morning had my father come to me to announce my planned wedding short after my twenty-first birthday. I did not even care that much that I was to be married to a man I hardly knew and was obviously much older than me, no. I wanted to live my life before doing all that. To have adventures, travel across Thedas, go to Orlais, Antiva. Fall in love...

But no, my parents wanted to sell me to the highest bidder with the most land and power, so everyone would benefit except for me. This was not what I wanted in life, I did not want to be locked away in the estate of some man who would only marry me for the gold and power.

I was laying on my bed again with one hand under my head and one hand on my hound's head when I heard a slight knock on the door.

"Come in mother," I said, turning my head toward the door. My voice surprised me, it was cracked and restrained, as if something gripped it from inside my throat. I had been crying and I had not even noticed it. I quickly wiped my tears away with the sleeves of my long ivory nightgown, but they kept coming.

When my mother came into my room and saw me crying she rushed over to my bed, holding me against her, my head in the hollow of her neck. She was a good woman, Eleanor Cousland, noble in both character as appearance and she had earned respect from even the royal family. She had long flowing ash blond hair tied up in a braid and sparkling green-blue eyes.

I felt my tears flowing freely as she pulled me in a tight embrace.

"Hush my darling, it will be all right," she tried to comfort me. "You do know your father and myself had an arranged marriage do you?"

I looked up in surprise. "No, I did not... Why have you never spoken to me of this before?"

"Because you are so young, my child. I did not want to be the one who had to drag you out of your fantasies of true love and naive beliefs of this world. I wanted to let you be the child you are, have dreams and imaginations of this world before I showed you the harsh realities."

I thought about that for a while, considering my answer.

"Is it really not possible for me then?" I asked her, sadness in my voice. "To just love and be happy?"

"But of course it is my dear! Do you not see your father and me as a loving and happily married couple?"

"Yes but-"

"I mean, of course it took a while for me to settle in here, but it was the right thing to do. Besides, your father and I had mutual respect for each other and were already good friends before marrying. Eventually that friendship grew and made us love one another. And everything worked out wonderfully did it not?" She interrupted me.

"You just need some time my child. It will all be fine. You will find that Bann Teagan is an honest and noble man. Surely he will treat you with utmost respect and will not force you to do anything you do not want to do."

"Except marry him, that is."

"Do not worry my dear, you are still only eighteen, things will change and eventually you will see that it is a good choice to ensure your future with a man like him."

"But I do not wish to ensure my future! I wish to travel, to love, to live! Surely you know of this feeling mother?"

"Yes, I do, darling. You know that. But I did what was right for my family and ultimately what was right for me too. This is just the way things go. We, as women of noble blood, have to accept that and make the best out of it. You understand this do you? You are of noble blood, you cannot just walk away from your responsibilities, your duty. You do what is right to ensure peace, wealth and continuation for your family and lands."

I sighed and I knew she was right. I could not just go run off to some distant land like some farm girl without a sense of duty.

"I understand," I breathed in defeat.

Father had been right. This _was_ going to happen, whether I wanted or not.

"But I will miss Highever so much! Can I not be married and still live here?" I asked pleadingly, knowing it was a futile request.

Mother merely laughed and held me to her chest again.

We sat on my bed like that for a while, mother telling stories of her early marriage days and how lost she was in a life that did not seem hers. She ensured me that it would be different for me, for she was even younger than twenty-one when she was married to my father.

"And," She added, "You have the persistence and determination of your father. You will be able to handle everything that will come your way."

I believed her. And why should I not? I had been able to get everything exactly the way I wanted in the past, and this would be no different. From now on I was protesting silently, thinking of clever and discrete ways to get out of this marriage thing and wait for a suitor I actually liked.

Night came upon Highever quickly that evening and I stayed up much too long wondering how I was going to survive the rest of my life should I fail in escaping the path my parents had set out for me. After a time which felt like a lifetime, I fell into a dreamless sleep, too tired for anything else.

* * *

When morning eventually arrived after a long night, the sun slowly rising over the horizon and turning the dark sky in to a bright blue, I was exhausted. Not just physically from the lack of sleep, but also mentally from my eternally continuing thoughts raging through my head. They had started exactly where they left off the day before, and I found myself more and more terrified with the idea of marrying a complete stranger without even having experienced the true joy of living.

I opened my eyes and looked out into my luxuriously furnished room, colors dancing on the sun's rays shining in through the window. Knowing I would not be able to go back to sleep again, the sun was shining too bright for that, I decided to get up and get dressed. Breakfast would be served shortly, the sundial outside my window showed me.

Getting up from my bed too quickly caused my head to spin and my eyes to see black swirls, so I quickly sat down on the edge of my bed, head bowed down while waiting for the dizziness to fade.

I tried again half a minute later, rising slowly and holding on the closest one of the four posts of my bed. When nothing happened I knew I was safe to move without fainting, so I walked over to my dressing table, sat down and gazed in the mirror.

I looked like a sleep deprived ogre. My long wavy raven black hair was entirely tangled up, sticking out in all kinds of directions. This was usual when I had forgotten to brush it and tie it neatly into a high bun before going to sleep, so I was not worried. What I _was _worried about, however, was that the surface of my face had gone completely pale, except for slight purple shadows around my light ice-blue eyes.

After I combed my hair and tied into a presentable long braid, because it looked like it had been scorched with fire if I let it hang loose, I walked over to my personal washroom on the opposite side of my chambers and splashed my face with water from a small bowl by the bath.

As I walked back to the dresser in my bedroom I heard the door open slowly and a tiny head that belonged to an elf peeked around the corner. When her eyes spotted me standing by the dresser they widened to the size of giant lily pads and, for a second, she was unsure of what to do.

"Come on in, Freya," I said kindly. "I was just about to get dressed, I don't suppose you could help me pick an outfit for the day?"

Freya was my personal servant, an extremely small elf with such blonde hair it was almost white. She had tiny features and striking green eyes, which were always smiling and kind.

"Of course My Lady!" She squeaked in her high pitched voice. "I would be delighted to! But we may not take too long, for your family will be waiting for you in the dining hall if we do."

"I understand Freya. Now what do you suggest I wear today?"

Freya had always loved to help me dress, she was enticed by all of my gowns and dresses and other formal clothing. She was born in the Highever alienage so she had never even seen anything more elaborate than her own rags before she came here.

Her parents had both been killed by a plague about ten years ago, and when my father had visited the alienage short after the plague was over to oversee the restorations, he had found her and rescued her from a life in an orphanage. Instead, he had given her a room of her own in the servants quarters and gave her an education, under the condition that she would work as my personal servant. She was hardly any older than me, so we started off as friends and did most of the chores in my quarters together, happily chatting and laughing as we did so.

But, as these things go, years passed and we began to learn the difference between elf and noble, so we gradually grew apart. We did not spend so much time together anymore, but she was never quite able to separate from my closet's contents that well, so I did her a favor every now and again to help me pick an outfit for the day.

"Well," She started excitedly, "I _heard_ that there are some quite important guests who arrived at the castle this morning. So you might want to dress formally, My Lady."

"Guests? Why did my parents not tell me of this?" I inquired.

"It seems they were not supposed to arrive for another few days, My Lady. Apparently, they sped up because of the coming storm." She said shyly.

"And do you perhaps know who these guests are and why they have come here?"

"I'm afraid not My Lady, all I know is there were no women in the company that arrived this morning, and quite a few of the men were _very _handsome."

I felt my stomach roll over when I had an awful feeling of who was leading the apparently very handsome group of men.

"Well, then I suppose we should hurry, no?" I said, suddenly not so hungry for my breakfast, knowing I would not like the coming hours much.

Freya nodded enthusiastically and began searching my dresses inside the huge closet while I took a seat across from her.

I do not know how she did it, but a few minutes later I was dressed from head to toe in a cute calf-length salmon colored dress with a wide neckline and loose half-long sleeves, a wide skirt and a sash around my ribs. Perfect for late spring. Freya had also managed to cover up those ugly dark shadows around my eyes with a special kind of powder make-up she had been given by a recently retired servant. And, on top of that, she had somehow gotten my hair into it's usual model, flowing over my back, with an ivory ribbon loosely holding it together.

"There you go My Lady!" She squeaked again. "You look wonderful, I bet all of those men will have a hard time keeping their eyes off of you today!" She immediately gasped as she finished her sentence, covering her mouth with both of her hands.

I chuckled as I watched her shocked expression change into an apologizing one, and just as she opened her mouth to apologize I intercepted her.

"No need to apologize Freya, you should be proud, I bet even my mother could have done little more for my ragged appearance this morning." I said, winking.

She giggled and bowed before leaving me alone in my chambers.

I took a deep breath, readying myself and switched from my casual attitude to my noble posture, preparing for the long day ahead of me.


	3. Chapter 3: Meetings and Reunions

AN: Oh my Maker, that was really hard to write. But anyway, I've pretty much figured out my plotline up until the end, so it should go more smoothly from here on out. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

x

* * *

The thought of meeting my betrothed so soon after learning of our impending marriage had my stomach turn multiple times, and while walking down the stairs to the main floor I had to resist the strong urge to run out the front gates and never come back. I wondered again why my parents had done this, and why they had chosen to announce our engagement more than two years before the actual wedding.

However, my thoughts were cut short when I heard my father's proud voice interrupting them.

"Ah, my dear daughter, I am pleased to see you dressed and decent, I was worried you would never wake up." He said, teasing, seeming to have completely forgotten our fight the previous day.

"I tried, father," I said in response, "but my growling stomach did not entirely agree with me." I smiled. His face, however, quickly turned serious.

"I assume the servants have already told you of our early guests?" he asked me, his tone almost apologizing.

"Yes they have, actually. And I was wondering why you had not told me of their visit sooner." I remembered my anger with my father as I continued to speak. "I could have at least mentally prepared had you informed me earlier."

My father chuckled and gave me an amused smile. "Hah. Yes you could have mentally prepared for your attempt at running away would you have found out any sooner."

I couldn't help but smile back. "You know me too well father, but if you do not object to it, I would like to quickly get the introductions over with so I can get something to eat." My stomach growled in agreement and my father laughed once more before walking me to the main greeting hall of our estate.

"You know, Bann Teagan hes been very excited to meet you, he has been waiting eagerly for you to wake up."

"Hah, well, at least that makes one of us." I said bitterly.

My father stopped and turned to me when we reached the huge door to the greeting rooms. He put his hands on my shoulders and hugged me tightly.

"I know you don't like this Lorraine," he said in his embrace, "but at least _try_ to be nice. Teagan put everything on hold in Rainesfere to come here for you, and I would hate to make him regret his decision."

I pulled back from his grip and looked up to meet his eyes. "Fine. He'd better be good looking though, I do not wish to marry an old _and _ugly guy, even if he is rich and powerful." My father laughed and I smiled mischievously.

"I would not worry about that my dear. Do you not remember meeting him when you were younger? When you and your mother accompanied me to the landsmeet in Denerim when King Maric died, we met Teagan and his brother, Arl Eamon there as well. But I can imagine you were too preoccupied to focus your attention on anything besides the gallant Prince Cailan at the time. If I remember correctly you were swooning over him the entire way home."

"Father! I was most definitely not _swooning_. And even if I was, that is completely beside the point. What did you say Bann Teagan looked like again?" I said, changing the subject, shocked that father had seen me swooning over the handsome and confident blonde prince.

"Why don't you see for yourself? Are you ready to meet him?"

"As ready as I will ever be, I suppose." I answered with a frown on my forehead, suddenly turning nervous.

I straightened my dress, pulled my long loose ponytail over my left shoulder, twirling it with my fingers, and took a deep breath before entering the large hall with my father at my side.

If anything, Bann Teagan was handsome. He was perhaps in his early thirties, with half-long copper-blonde hair and mint colored eyes. His face lit up as we entered the room, eyes sparkling with the sight of his bride-to-be. He kept complimenting everything about me throughout the entire meeting, which annoyed me, but was charming nonetheless. He had brought a few soldiers with him as escorts and, surprisingly enough, a Grey Warden as well. My father had told me many stories about them over the years, but until then, I never had the pleasure of meeting one in person. The Grey Warden's name was Duncan, signs of his age had appeared on his face over time, as well as several scars. No doubt obtained by fighting monsters and darkspawn. Duncan did not say much, only that he was looking for recruits in the area.

Teagan explained he had come to visit us for my upcoming nineteenth birthday, even if it was still two weeks away, and he planned to leave shortly after the event. He gave my father a meaningful look as he said his goodbyes for the day and I saw my father nod slightly at him before he left.

After the brief meeting I turned to rush over to the kitchen as soon as possible, but before I had the chance, my father grabbed me by the arm in the now empty room. I swung around, annoyed, but my mood softened as I gazed upon my father's sad expression.

"Lorraine, before you go," he started, "I want you to know something."

"Oh Maker, I am not going to like this am I?" I knew the tone of his voice all too well to think otherwise.

"I don't think you will." He said solemnly and met my eyes for a brief moment before looking down. "You... You are going with Bann Teagan when he leaves Highever after your birthday. Your mother and I thought..."

But I didn't hear him anymore. I felt a heavy thump in my stomach and I sank to the floor, my eyesight beginning to blur with upcoming tears. I began sobbing as realization struck. I was to leave my home in less than three weeks, the place I had grown up in, the place I loved. I felt my last chance of getting out of my marriage dissolve with my fathers words, my last chance of living my life the way _I_ wanted.

My father caught me in his arms before my knees hit the ground and pulled me close to his chest. For a second, I let him hold me, but when I regained control over my limbs I fiercely pushed him away and ran toward the kitchen.

* * *

I had been sitting on the stone bench in my secret corner of the gardens almost up until dinnertime. The sun was beginning to inch closer to the edge of the horizon and the sky was slowly shifting colors. The tears had stopped a few hours earlier. I had run out of water to feed them with.

After I had grabbed as much food as I could carry, I had run through the kitchen to the servants quarters into one of the storage rooms and found my way to my hidden passageway in the sealed stone wall, leading up to my private spot of the castle gardens. It was early spring in Highever, so the roses were starting to form their flowers and the plants and trees were slowly waking up from their hibernation.

When the strong scent of herbs and spices on roasted meat reached my nose, I decided I had wallowed in self pity long enough and tried to regain my composure. I was making my way back up to the kitchen when I suddenly bumped into something cold and hard while stepping out of the storage room, too lost in thought to notice it standing before me.

"My lady!" it gasped. Before I could look up I recognized his voice and suddenly my mood brightened.

"Ser Gilmore!" I nearly squealed. "You're back!" I could not control myself and launched my arms around his neck. "I thought you would not return for a few days!"

I saw the small elven servant standing next to him growing nervous and she muttered something about dinner before scurrying off as fast as she could.

"As did I, Lady Lorraine." He said, his cheeks reddening to the color of his hair in response to my sudden outburst of affection. He managed to keep his voice steady as he spoke on. "But as you may have heard, the impending storm had us speeding up significantly."

I immediately felt the heavy feeling in my stomach return when he finished, realizing that he must have been traveling with Teagan and his men. Which, in turn, snapped me back to reality.

"You were with Teagan and the Grey Warden then?" I inquired, pulling back from my spontaneous embrace.

"That's right, I was sent to Rainesfere to escort Teagan back here, but Duncan's presence was... unexpected to say the least. There are so few Grey Wardens in Ferelden, I never would have hoped to meet Duncan himself. Bann Teagan told me he had invited the Grey Wardens to his estate to use it as a base of operations. They say the old keep up north is haunted, so the Wardens don't really have anything close to a base or anything. And since Duncan has been so actively searching for recruits for a while now, Teagan offered them to stay at Rainesfere." He said enthusiastically, almost babbling. Ser Gilmore had always held a great admiration for the Grey Wardens, even if he had only heard the countless stories about them.

"So, did you know?" I interrupted him, not caring one bit about where the Grey Wardens slept. "Did you know Bann Teagan plans to marry me?"

His eyes widened at my sudden question, as if unsure how to answer. "Well, yes, I did. But only as of yesterday evening. The entire castle was talking about it when I returned ahead of the others to announce our early arrival, so it was pretty hard to miss." Good, at least nobody had found out before I did.

"But, if you were here last night, why did you not come and see me?" Ser Gilmore had been a close friend of mine since the day he arrived here as a child, but I knew he had always felt more than just friendship for me. He had been sent by his father, some overrated lord somewhere in the Bannorn, as a squire to train in Highever. But Gilmore was humble and sweet. He had always managed to make me laugh whenever I was in a foul mood and I don't remember him ever doing any harm to anyone. He was a skilled fighter, nonetheless, and over the years we had spent many days playing with wooden swords as children, and many nights, when free of our duties, sparring with real swords, him teaching me the ways of a rogue. Despite all of his experience however, I always managed to beat him, one way or the other. My mother had been teaching me to fight since I was a child. She believed it would make me a stronger and more confident woman. I never told Gilmore anything about that, so he always blamed my 'beginner's luck' on his defeat. I liked his company. The way he looked at me always made me feel special, so I kept him around, doing my best not to lead him on. I did not want to hurt his feelings.

"I would have," he interrupted my thoughts, "but I heard from a certain father of yours that there was no talking to you, so I let you be. Are you alright? I heard you didn't take it well." I felt my eyes prickling in response to his concern, and realized how much I had missed him over the past few weeks.

"I'm fine," I lied, looking down to avoid his concerned eyes. "Don't worry about me. I just wish I didn't have to leave so soon. Can't you come with me when I go? At least then I will have someone I know in Rainesfere. I don't like it when you're not with me, it feels wrong." I looked up from under my eyelashes, manipulating him to come with me. I didn't wish to hurt him, but it was true. I felt lonely without him. The only other friend I had in the castle was my hound, and he wasn't what you would call the talkative type.

Gilmore looked at me hesitantly, but I knew I had won him over when I saw a familiar blush spread over his cheeks. "I... I'll see what I can do, my lady."

I smiled at him and stood on my toes to kiss him lightly on his cheek. "Thank you, Ser Knight. Now, I think it is about time for dinner. Would you care to accompany me to the dining hall, good Ser?" The red on his face flamed up as I spoke and I was amused by his bewildered expression.

"Of course, my lady," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. I chuckled softly without him noticing, pleased with my apparant power over him, and hooked my arm in his, letting him lead me to the delicious smell coming from the dining hall.


	4. Chapter 4: Unrequited

Yeay chapter 4! So, two things before you start reading. First, thank you all soooo much for the reviews :) they make me really happy! And second, I apologize if there's a bit of a slow start to my story, but I wanted to work out my Cousland's personality and her relationships with other characters before I hit the plot, but I can assure you, it's right around the corner :-)  
And third, (oh that's one too many xD) Enjoy!

x

* * *

I tried to make the best out of my remaining days at Highever, and it was surprisingly easy to do so with Ser Gilmore by my side. He helped me get my mind off of the inevitable future and, more importantly, I finally got to pick up my swords and daggers again. We had been training and sparring together every night since he came back. I found it relaxing. I got to fight off all of my frustrations and problems with my weapons. I wasn't what you would call strong though, for my muscles were barely visible under my skin and I could not manage anything bigger than my one-handed sword. Instead, I was fast, lean and sneaky, much to Ser Gilmore's dismay. His heavy greatsword and shield could barely keep up with my swift movements, so he almost always ended up tossing his shield and part of his giant armor aside, simply out of frustration.

It was starting to get warmer outside during the day, and the evenings began to last significantly longer. One day, after dinner, Ser Gilmore and I retreated to the training grounds on the castle lands. The sun was a bright orange and twilight was settling. These were the hours, when day was over but night had not yet begun, I loved the most. They gave me a feeling of freedom, of bliss. The fact that I was free to do what I desired gave me great pleasure, and usually, these were the hours of the day that I started to consider running away again. I only thought about it though, if only to daydream of the things I could do when _all_ of the hours of the day were mine to spend in whatever way I wished.

But that would never be the case. Not now, not ever. Right now, I was out on the training grounds with my only real friend. Lucas had headed out in the woods about an hour ago, probably hunting for some nugs. He always came back though, so I wasn't worried.

Gilmore and I never spoke much during our training together, we were usually too out of breath to say anything, but tonight, he suddenly spoke up when we were sitting down for a moment, on a small hill under a canopy of leaves of an ancient oak tree, taking a break.

He looked up at me with his shining mossy eyes, studying me for a moment before opening his mouth. "Are you okay?" He suddenly looked worried. I knew I was a mess, sweating a bit, and my black hair, emanating an orange glow in the twilight, was pretty messed up around my head. My bun had fallen out of my ribbon somewhere along our training session and my hair was now flowing wildly over my back. I returned his gaze with a slight smile on my face.

"Do I look that bad?" I said with a small chuckle. Somewhere I knew he wasn't talking about my appearance, but I tried to keep the conversation light. I was definitely not in the mood for heavy talk. Especially not now, in my favorite hours of the day.

"No of course not! I...I'm just worried about you, Lorraine." His gaze turned sad with emotion, and I suddenly felt like I should be comforting him. I moved a little closer to him and softly put my hand on his, giving him a gentle look.

"I told you," I said with a stern, noble tone to my voice, "you don't have to worry about me. I'll get through whatever comes my way." I assured him, repeating what my mother had told me eight days ago. I wasn't just assuring him, I was convincing myself too. I hadn't gotten any more used to the idea of going to Rainesfere, but I had decided to forget about it and to worry again when the time had come.

"I believe you. I just...I don't like seeing you unhappy. It's like you've changed a little since we came back. Like a bit of your soul lost it's smile. I don't know. I must sound quite stupid huh?" He took his hand away from under mine, stood up and walked over to the immensely old, but still living, blooming tree behind us. I laid down on my back and stared at the peach colored sky above me before answering. The stars were starting to appear and the moon had been hovering close to the horizon for a while, steadily rising while the sun was sinking.

I turned over on my stomach, lifting my head so I could see him standing by the old oak. "You never sound stupid, Gilmore." He gave me a slight smile. "I _do_ know what you mean, though. It _feels _like part of my soul stopped smiling. Ever since my parents took my free will from me I feel so different. You know me so well." I got up from the grass, walked over to him and put my hands on his shoulders. "But I'm no longer a child. I will have to get used to setbacks in my life and move on. I can't give up on smiling altogether now, can I?" Gilmore's smile spread further across his face, his eyes filled with awe and his cheeks slightly reddening.

"That would be a terrible shame." He stated. "No one should be so unlucky as to never see you smile, Lorraine." He whispered softly, his eyes full of adoration. I suddenly felt like I was standing much too close to him and quickly withdrew my hands from his shoulders, took a step back and started putting my hair back into the bun. I turned my back to him and started walking back to the training grounds, giving him a playful smile over my shoulder.

"I wouldn't worry about that, Ser Knight! As long as I beat you in every possible way, I won't quit smiling for a _long_ time!" I called out to him, trying to get rid of the dark turn of the conversation and the awkward moment under the large oak. He had stayed behind and stood under the tree, motionless like a statue. His head snapped up when I finished and, much to my relief, his playful mood also seemed to have returned.

"Is that so?" He said with a devious grin, "I guess I should just keep letting you win all the time then!"

I started hopping toward the training grounds, my good mood completely restored with the return of the light conversation topic. "Oh so _that's_ what you are doing huh?" I called back to him. "If I remember correctly, you were so angry you couldn't beat me yesterday, you threw out your shield!"

"But my lady," he said with a coy tone to his voice, "I was just keeping up appearances, I wouldn't want you to get suspicious now would I?

I scoffed. "Okay, call it what you will. But I want you to give me everything you've got! And I've told you not to call me 'my lady'! I heard Gilmore laugh behind me and I picked up my weapons from the grass, ready to best him once again.

* * *

Ser Gilmore and I had dueled until the sun had almost completely descended into the horizon, so we had stopped when it was getting too dark to see each other well enough to fight. We had also been growing considerably tired and I barely had the strength to walk back to the castle. It was quite a long distance from the castle to the training grounds and I immediately regretted having worn myself out like this. I had, however, defeated Gilmore again and again, only having been bested myself once, when I was already too exhausted to keep up my speed and agility. Lucas had returned a short while back and we returned to the castle when he did.

We had been walking for a long time on our way back to the castle when I suddenly lost my balance and tripped over something. I toppled over and gasped loudly in surprise. I was about to hit the ground when I felt Ser Gilmore's soft hands catch me by the shoulders and pulling me back upright.

"Are you alright?" He asked noticeably alarmed, not letting go of my shoulders and pulling me to him, a little too close for comfort. I tried pulling away a bit, but he still kept his grip firm, as if afraid that I would fall again were he to release me.

I had completely lost my train of thought with the sudden loss of balance and when I remembered my fall had been caused by me stumbling over my own two feet I started giggling.

"Are you laughing? What in the Maker's name is there to laugh about Lorraine? You scared me half to death!"

I tried to strain my giggling for a moment, or I would not be able to answer. Instead my laughs came out in little, high pitched squeaks when I spoke. "I'm sorry ser Knight." Squeak. "I guess I'm just a bit tired. My feet usually detest being tired, so they stop doing my bidding and go on a strike...Or something."

His hold on my shoulders relaxed a bit and he let out a small chuckle. He turned his head down to address my feet. "Please never do that again. Obey your mistress, or I will come after you."

I giggled again and this time he joined me. The fact that we were making fun of my feet made it all the more funny.

When we had calmed down, I realized we were still standing dangerously close to each other, with his hands resting loosely on my upper arms. I looked him in the eyes and saw them gazing at me. They were soft and sweet eyes and although he had always been able to hide it like a master, I could now clearly see the underlying desire in them. He softly traced his fingers up my arms to my neck and suddenly leaned towards me. My eyes widened when I understood his intentions and I quickly grabbed his hands and tore them away from my neck, however pleasant their touch may have felt. I took two steps back, seeing his body slump in disappointment as I did so. I was shocked. Had he really been trying to kiss me? He had never tried to make such a bold move before. Maybe he had realized I was soon to belong to another man –not that I had ever belonged to _him_, or ever would- and he felt like he had to seize the opportunities given before I was torn away from him. I hated that he felt this way for me. I had never been able to return his feelings and I knew I was never going to. Something which I hated even more. Ser Gilmore was a good man and if I had fallen for him before all this arranged marriage business I could have been with a man I had loved.

"I uh..." He stammered. But before either of us had a chance to react to our almost-kiss we heard the sounds of horses approaching the castle gates. We were still standing some distance away from the estate, so I couldn't clearly see who the riders were, but they wore a banner vaguely familiar to me. It depicted a white and yellow shield with a big brown bear walking before it.

I pretended like I had completely forgotten about Ser Gilmore's failed advances and ran toward the servants entrance of the castle, the way we had come a few hours before. More guests. Great. But somehow, that symbol on their flag and shields had made me unbelievably curious as to who they were.

After parting with Ser Gilmore at the soldiers wing I made my way up to my room to clean myself up. I had to resist the strong urge to sneak past the main hall and see who our uninvited guests were, but I knew I had to clean up and get dressed first. The doors to the main hall were guarded and only the servants knew of my daily training session, so I could not risk being seen. An armor and swords were, after all, highly inappropriate for the daughter of the Teyrn.

After arriving in my chambers, I quickly hid my equipment in the footlocker next to my bed and undressed before hopping in my bath. I had told Freya to fill it just before sundown, for I knew I would have been on my way back by then. I let the bath soothe my tired muscles for a while and washed my hair. My curiosity got the better of me after a short while in the tub, so I jumped out and dried off. I grabbed the first dress I saw in my closet, not making an effort to dress up. After putting on the long and elaborate navy evening dress, I heard a loud knock on my door.

"Lorraine? Are you decent?" A familiar male voice asked through my door.

"Yes I am, you can come in, Fergus." I replied.

"Oh no need little sister, just meet me at the main hall when you are ready, we have some more guests father wants you to meet."

"I know!" I said, maybe a little too enthusiastically. "Who are they? I thought I recognized their banner from somewhere."

"Oh you will see soon enough sister, I think you will like the surprise." I heard the smile in his voice but I could not figure out if he meant it or not.

"I'll be right there!" And I heard him retreat from my door.

I tied my almost dry hair into a bun, put on my slippers and almost ran back downstairs. I knew I had seen the symbol those men were carrying before, put I just couldn't put my finger on where.

I met my brother at the side door to the main hall. He was wearing his stuffy noble clothes, as was normal for these meetings, but I could tell he felt uncomfortable in them. It was amazing how much he looked like my father. His image standing before me was almost identical to the ones on the walls from when my father was younger. Brown hair to the back of his neck fell over his head, and he had equally piercing green eyes. He had a slight grin on his face and amused eyes, like he knew something I didn't.

"What?" I asked when he continued to say nothing while looking at me with that mischievous grin.

"Oh nothing." He said, as if pulled back from deep thoughts. "Now, are you coming with me or are you just going to stand there?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I'm coming." I straightened out my dress, put the loose strands of hair behind my ears and took Fergus by the arm.

My father was standing by the fireplace next to an awfully familiar older man. I couldn't quite recall where I met him, but when I saw the young man standing next to him, memories came flooding back to me. I fought back the gag I felt in my throat, because they were anything but fond memories.

I managed to keep my composure, however and concentrated on my father and brother while repeating the same prayer over and over in my head.

_Oh Maker_, I chanted in my thoughts, _I beg of you, please make him leave me alone while he is here_.


	5. Chapter 5: Sunlight

LoL at taking way too long to write one freaking chapter :P. Whatever, I'm easily distracted, it's one of my many many fails in life. Anyway, I have anything but forgotten about this little story here, and it just keeps developing in my head, it's just hard for me to write it down.  
Prepare for one epic flashback!

Maker bless BioWare.

* * *

_Sunlight shone brightly through the adorned stain glass windows of the landsmeet chamber. The atmosphere appeared to be perfectly happy from the outside, but that was anything but true. The enormous room was completely filled up with nobles and even more common folk, paying their respects to the only recently passed King and his remaining son. The new King. He had handled the political affairs surrounding his father's death. With reluctance however. Cailan was never one for ruling. He had known from the beginning he would be the eventual king of Ferelden when his father would pass. Even so, now that the time had come for him to ascend the throne, he did not feel prepared one bit._

_The new King, Cailan thought, a knot twisting in his stomach. He thanked the Maker a thousand times for Anora, his betrothed, to know her way around politics. At least she would be good for something. He would be able to deal with what little of the things she could not handle, like defending his Ferelden against outsiders, or even better, darkspawn. But these thing would have to wait. At that moment, there were no outsiders threatening to invade, nor had there been sightings of darkspawn groups for decades. But Cailan knew, somehow, that his time of glory would come, sooner or later. Though he preferred the former. He had loved his father with all his heart but this ceremony was taking too long for his taste. _

_The only highlight for him this day was the presence of the Cousland family. Although the Teyrn, Bryce Cousland, was one of the favorites amongst the nobles to succeed King Maric, he had made clear, especially to Cailan, that he would have none of that. He saw Cailan as the rightful King, and wished nothing more than a peaceful life with his family in Highever. His family, standing across the landsmeet chamber from where Cailan sat in his princely throne, was a sight to behold. Not only did the Teyrn have a loving and devoted wife, who was exceptionally beautiful for a woman of her age, he had two children. One noble young man a few years older than Cailan, he estimated, but much more muscular and broad. And, more importantly already married. His wife had given him a son some years back, Cailan remembered. Yes, Fergus Cousland would make a fine addition to his army, should he ever need one, but he would only call on him when utterly necessary, he wouldn't rob the young boy of his father._

_Teyrn Couslands daughter, however, was not as grown up as her brother, but instead had an air of regality around her. Not necessarily intimidating, but approachable, like a princess who spends her days amongst her people, instead__ of above them. She always managed to dazzle Cailan the few times he had seen her before. Those piercing ice like blue orbs for eyes, which seemed like they gazed right into his soul, peeking out from under her long black locks of hair draped over her shoulders and back. Her seemingly perfect posture keeping her well formed body in place and her charming features across her face, which lit up as she smiled. _Yes_, Cailan mused to himself, caught up in the sight of her,_ if it wasn't for Anora being pushed on me, Lorraine Cousland would have been my first choice._ And in that small moment, she glanced at him from over her shoulder, giving him a shy smile and quickly averting her eyes, her slightly freckled cheeks turning an endearing shade of pink, for she had caught the future King staring at her._

* * *

"Ah Lorraine, you got here just in time. You remember arl Rendon Howe and his son Thomas don't you?"

"Milady Lorraine," the visiting arl stated with a genuine smile, "it is always a pleasure to see you."

"And you, arl Howe," I responded, pretending not to notice the arl's son standing beside him.

Thomas bowed and inhaled, but before he could release his breath with words I stopped him and continued to speak to his father. "To what do we owe the privilege of your presence, good arl?" Thomas glared at me, and answered my question before his father had the chance.

"Why, your birthday of course, my lady, we plan to help your good family with the preparations. My sister and mother should arrive within the week."

His sinister voice sent shivers down my spine, and memories of him were trying hard to take over my thoughts, but I blocked them, long enough to thank the Howes and rush out of the room. I wanted nothing more than to talk with my mother about this, but she was probably already sleeping, so I retired to my chambers for the evening. Seeking comfort from my mother would have to wait until morning.

* * *

_Lorraine had been trying the entire day to keep her eyes off the blonde king-to-be and focus on the people around her, but she failed miserably. There was just something about him. Something that kept pulling her eyes toward him, if only just for a small moment. But, what she did not fail to notice about her surroundings, was the redheaded Howe boy, Thomas, she believed his name was, staring at her. This wasn't something that occurred rarely. She was used to people staring at her, and had learned not to pay any attention to it after a great deal of frustration over it. The redheaded boy however, he wasn't just staring. He had been eying her since the moment she walked into the landsmeet chamber, as if he was a predator waiting for the right moment to go after his prey. He seemed perfectly nice when they had spoken, making small talk with Lorraine and her family, but his haunting green eyes scared her._

"_If I were you, I'd keep my baby blues off Prince Cailan and on my brother, Lorraine. I think he likes you." _

_Lorraine had been ogling the prince again without even noticing. But the whispers in her ear pulled her eyes away until she gazed into the same haunting green eyes that had been stalking her all day._

"_What was that, Delilah?"_

"_Wow, you really are smitten with him aren't you?" Delilah laughed. "This is bad, we should get him out of your sight before you start swooning. Come with me!" She pulled Lorraine out of the crowd and took her to a more secluded corner of the landsmeet chamber._

_Lorraine scoffed. "I am not! And I don't swoon over anything. Now, what did you say about your brother?"_

"_Never mind, I think he'd rather tell you himself." Delilah said over her shoulder, turned and walked towards a group of lesser nobles._

_Looking around, Lorraine realized she had not only lost sight of her object of obsession, but also her family. However, before she could begin to look for them, the creepy redheaded boy emerged from the crowd._

_Lorraine had become good at ignoring people, so she decided this was the best solution for now, lest she wanted to be alone with him and his stalking gaze in a secluded corner of the giant hall. Her attempt at ignoring him failed. Even before she could look the other way he called out to her._

"_My lady!" She hated that word. "My lady Lorraine!" He called again._

_She had to face him now, something she dreaded. But could not find any other reason for her to be afraid of him other than the creepy atmosphere around him. She could at least try to be nice to him._

"_Can I help you with something, Thomas?" She answered, trying hard not to betray the underlying fear in her voice._

"_You certainly can my lady, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time. I have been wanting to speak with you from the moment you arrived."_

"_But you have spoken with me, just now when we were.."_

"_Not in private." He interrupted, and his words sent another chill down Lorraine's spine. What did he want from her?_

"_It won't take a minute, my lady. Please, this way." Before she could object, he gently pulled her away from the landsmeet chamber, into one of the connecting corridors._

"_What did you want to talk to me about, Thomas?" She inquired, still trying her best to suppress her fear. Instead of answering, he kept walking until they reached a seemingly abandoned room._

"_Step inside, my lady." He bowed an waited for her to enter._

"_Not before you tell me tell me exactly what you want from me, Thomas Howe." She tried lengthening her neck and torso to come across unafraid but he didn't even notice her change in posture. Instead, he turned to her and slowly moved closer._

_It was then that she realized how tall he actually was. He was no boy. He was a man. The top of her head did not even reach his chin. He kept moving closer until her back was pressed to the wall._

"_What I want, my lady," he spoke in a low voice, "is for you to know of my affections toward you. I know it has been a while since we last spoke, but I have always had special," he stopped mid-sentence and reached for her right hand, "feelings for you."_

_Lorraine was frozen in place, back against the wall she stood there, her hand in that of a man she hardly ever saw. A man she did not even like the slightest bit, and had even been afraid of. Now she realized he was behaving the way he did because he was in love with her. She mentally scolded herself. Why had she not thought of this herself? His eyes following her everywhere, his sister leaving her in the perfect spot for him to approach her. Yes, she would know how to handle this. On several occasions in Highever, she had made a boy fall out of love with her as quickly as he had fallen in love. _

_She pulled her hand away and put it behind her for the moment. "Thomas," she started, "I'm afraid I cannot answer your 'special feelings'. I'm sorry." She tried turning away, but he jerked his arms upward, each hand on the wall on both sides next to her head, trapping her. He was inching closer with each second, not for a moment turning his venomous eyes away from her face._

"_And I'm afraid that answer won't do this time, my lady. I never take no for an answer," he stated with a hint of malice in his voice._

_Fear began to creep its way back in to Lorraine's thoughts. She should have trusted her instincts to begin with. This was no ordinary man. But she was no ordinary girl, she would handle this and make her getaway easily. She hoped._

_The best way to handle this particular situation was to fool him, she decided. Let him think he has her under control and then make a run for it. She rapidly took all of her surroundings in consideration and formed a plan._

"_Well, Thomas," she whispered in reply, pretending not to be terrified while she began to understand his intentions, "I must say, I am charmed by your persistence." She placed her right hand on his arm, slowly pulling it off the wall and softly put around her waist._

_It worked. His body relaxed and he looked at her with a mixture of mild surprise and raw desire. "I'm glad," he breathed in her ear. "Why don't we step inside now?" _

_The feeling of his breath in her ear disgusted her, but she did not flinch. Instead, she softly tugged his arms, leading him into the empty room across the hall. It felt good that her plan was working so far, but the hardest part was still to come. How she would execute her escape was planned perfectly in only a few short seconds. But how to get this intimidating man to let his guard down completely, she was not sure of. She knew of only one possibility, but even considering it made her nauseous. Kissing him would be her last way out, but it seemed more likely to happen with each passing moment. Thomas was careful. So careful that it seemed the only way out was to grant him his wish, just enough to distract him and make her way out of his arms._

_Once inside the room, Thomas grabbed both her arms and pressed her against the door, shutting it completely. "Did you change your mind about me then? Smart girl."_

_Realizing his hold on her, and seeing his head move closer and closer, panic gripped Lorraine's heart. Who knew what this man was planning to do with her now that she freely accepted him. She had been a fool thinking this man would let his guard down as easily as she thought, no mere kiss from her could loosen his tight hands from her limbs. She was utterly powerless, and the feeling of losing control over the situation gave her a feeling she did not often have in her protected life in Highever: complete fear. _

_Thomas noticed. He saw her feeling of dread clearly in her eyes. "There's no backing out now my lady," he purred, "let me show you what I meant when I said I…" He started, but before Lorraine noticed he had stopped talking, everything went black. For a moment, she felt her left hand burn like it had been scorched by a dragon's flame, and she completely blacked out._

* * *

_Drifting in and out of unconsciousness, like nights with too little sleep and too many nightmares, Lorraine could hear, feel and see for short, indistinct moments. She heard the door behind her open, the creaking of wood. Footsteps of a man in light armor, leather boots and chainmail. She felt cold metal on her skin, and as soon as it touched her she felt lighter. She felt her left hand, which had been burning as hot as lava, being soothed immediately. The heat extinguished in mere seconds. She felt the metal hands lift her up in the air, pressing her against an unknown body that belonged to an unknown man. She felt her mind screaming not to trust him, but her body was calmed by this presence, this unknown source of tranquility. She felt her body wanting to stay in these arms around her, so she didn't move. She finally managed to stay conscious long enough to see flashes of her savior, and that was exactly how he looked. She saw bright sunlight shining through a window behind him, creating a golden aura around his head. She saw blonde hair, sticking out in multiple directions, but the sunlight was too much for her to make out anything else. Breathless by how beautiful he looked, Lorraine could forget everything for an instant. Why she was in his arms in the first place, what had been about to happen with Thomas, what had happened to her causing her to black out, it didn't matter, none of it. Completely in a state of bliss, she allowed herself to slip into slumber again, but this time peacefully._

_The clacking sound of metal on metal woke her. Lying on an old piece of dusty furniture, she yawned and began to sit up, when a pair of strong resolute hands almost forced her back down on the dusty sofa. Immediately she felt the soothing energy emanate from these rough, yet gentle hands. She did as they commanded. Instead of getting up, she settled for opening her eyes, hoping to finally get a clear view of her mysterious savior._

"_You shouldn't get up yet. I would know." A strangely familiar, sweet yet cocky voice stated. It belonged to a boy, though almost a man, Lorraine could tell by the sound of his near adult voice. She was right, the boy sat down opposite her, finally in clear sight. The messy golden hair was almost as a crown atop his head. Boyish features were illuminated by a small, again sweet yet cocky smile. There was something so obviously familiar to his face, but drowsiness prevented Lorraine from placing it._

"_It think I can manage. I have to get back to my family. They're bound to worry if I stay away too long." She looked around for an exit, but was unable to spot one._

"_Alright, I'll help you get back to your family." The blonde boy began, getting up from his seat. "On one condition though." The cocky smile widened. "Only if you tell me your name." He reached out for her hand._

_Lorraine hesitated, slowly rising from her makeshift bed. Sitting up, she looked at his hand with reluctance. "I can get up by myself, thank you." Yet halfway through her attempt to get to her feet she lost her sight again, blackness and dizziness taking over her head. He caught her, however, taking hold of her waist and pulling her closer to him, keeping her upright._

"_I told you, you shouldn't get up yet, especially not after what happened in there." He paused, and hesitated. "What exactly happened to you in there?"_

_Lorraine didn't answer the boy, instead she gaped up at him, still pressed close to his chest. He was at least a foot taller than she was, looking down at her with concerned eyes. A few seconds passed and she remembered he had asked something of her. Another question._

"_That's a lot of questions, you know, I thought you only wanted my name?"_

_Though the boy had only helped her until now, she was still afraid to trust him. Even despite his handsome features and gentle conduct. She spoke up again before he could come up with an answer, afraid to be asked more of his questions._

"_My name is Rose. Happy now?"_

"_Yes. Just Rose?" He flashed her a boyish smile._

"_Just Rose. Now get me out of here."_


End file.
